Pew Research Center’s recent poll of news habits shows that half of Americans get their news from social media, with the majority of people reading the news on their digital devices than on TV or print publications. It is now more critical than ever for patients to discern evidence-based science over misleading pseudoscience. With an overwhelming influx of information accessible at our fingertips, healthcare professionals have the important job of safeguarding the integrity of medical science and patient care. Dr. Chad Rodgers, AFMC’s Chief Medical Officer, sheds light on the dangers of pseudoscience in the medical community. He explains how providers have the knowledge to recognize and combat these dangerous misconceptions and foster a culture of trust and respect.
The Social Media Problem
One of the most fundamental issues with people using TikTok as their main source of news is the number of users who do not watch a video to completion. Buffer’s latest analysis of “millions of TikTok videos” reveals that “the longer the TikTok video, the more views it tends to get.” Three to 10-minute videos received the most views on average compared to shorter, 10 to 30-second videos.
However, when it comes to full video watch rate, the opposite is true. “Users are more likely to watch entire videos if they are shorter,” the article reads. While it can be done, it is less likely for news stories to tell the whole story from start to finish in 30 seconds or less. This means that social media users are not listening or learning the full story of important news.
This could explain why many have latched onto misleading information—they often don’t watch the full video to understand the full context of the story.
When it comes to healthcare information, it’s critical that users receive true, evidence-based information from what they watch online.
Trends in Healthcare Misinformation
One of the hottest healthcare topics wrought with conspiracy and inaccurate beliefs is vaccinations. “When I first started 20 years ago, I would occasionally run into a parent who was concerned about or did not want to vaccinate their child. Now, it’s a daily occurrence,” Dr. Rodgers says.
Although vaccines have been the greatest advancement in pediatric medicine in the last century, there has been a growing distrust of their benefit to public health among parents and guardians. “Outside of the healthcare and policy arena, most people don’t realize the importance and impact vaccinations have on protecting the health of our children and the public.
The Root of Pseudoscience
Dr. Rodgers says that much of pseudoscience is rooted in fear, one of our basic human instincts needed for survival. “We now have a tremendous amount of information available in the palm of our hand with smartphones,” he says. “A simple Google search can provide you with countless sources of information.”
And then there’s bias. We all have it, and we’re looking for information that affirms those biases. The juicy bit of info that will win the argument. “Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the skills needed to weed out the bad information and challenge our own biases,” Dr. Rodgers adds.
So, what can healthcare professionals do to help our patients learn to weed out the bad and reap the benefits of information?
Some healthcare professionals have felt the need to put out good information and trusted resources on the Internet. However, there is also a growing effort to counter these efforts through misinformation—information that is simply incorrect or inaccurate—and disinformation—misinformation created with the intent to cause harm. It is hard for people to know the difference between what is accurate and inaccurate without doing the proper research or relying on professionals to help.
“Many people look to their healthcare provider as an avenue to trusted resources and information,” Dr. Rodgers says. Others like to cross-check and evaluate multiple resources to help make decisions with their healthcare provider.” It is important to help patients identify and eliminate inaccurate or false information if they need it.
Identifying What’s True and What’s Not
There are a few red flags to look out for when doing research or learning about new topics you read on the Internet. For example, if the information is covered only by one source and no other information exists, it’s probably not true. Similarly, if information differs across multiple sources, that should raise a red flag.
“It is also important to cross-check sources for validity,” Dr. Rodgers says. We must realize that one study, even a scientific study, does not make information fact. Scientific research is a rigorous process that usually requires multiple studies with analyses of all the factors. When the results are consistently the same time after time, we can begin to trust that result as fact more and more.”
Many organizations will use marketing language to make their readers feel an emotion or react in a certain way. Often, this language does not follow the same rules as scientific research and is based on how people feel, not evidence-based practice. “So, don’t ever confuse marketing research with scientific research,” Dr. Rodgers advises. “Their goals are very different. Marketing research is not harmful, but it is trying to get you to buy something.”
Encouraging Preventive Care in a World of Misinformation
Preventive care has been a key focus of healthcare, preventing unnecessary hospitalizations and reducing patients’ costs. However, some patients believe that preventive care strategies, such as vaccinations, medications, and even some vital screenings, are harmful to their well-being, contrary to what their doctor is telling them.
In these situations, it’s important to remain respectful but informative. “Building a relationship with the patient is key to trust and further discussion,” Dr. Rodgers says. However, you must also realize that the discussion may not always end in an agreement. But that’s not the end game. Say what you know to be true, explain the view you operate from, and then let the patient decide what is best for them and their family.”
In conversations with his patients, Dr. Rodgers also asks himself, “Is this harmful, or does it have the potential to cause harm?” Medicine and treatments are designed to help and protect people from harm. “If the answer is ‘yes, it can harm someone,’ then I must take a stand and firmly express my concerns. If it is harmless, and I know that no harm can be done, is it worth the battle of disagreeing?”
Build Trust to Combat False Information
We live in a rapidly changing world. Just like people change, scientific knowledge grows and changes. It’s important for patients to know and understand that as the scientific community conducts more tests, uses more advanced technology, and studies more diseases, our knowledge and understanding will morph. And that’s a good thing!
“Most of all, we as healthcare professionals must understand that, sometimes, our patients have a history of trauma or pain,” Dr. Rodgers explains. Recognizing and gaining an understanding of where they are coming from helps us all communicate and learn to communicate more effectively. Trust and relationship-building are two of the best weapons against false information.”
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Meet Dr. Chad Rodgers
Dr. Rodgers is the chief medical officer at AFMC and a board-certified pediatrician at Little Rock Pediatric Clinic. Dr. Rodgers received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he completed his internship and residence at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, serving as pediatric chief resident. He has served as president of the Arkansas Medical Society and the Arkansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. His areas of interest include pediatric development, positive and adverse childhood experiences, social determinants of health, and health literacy.
